Foldable modular light diffusion box

ABSTRACT

A lighting box or front projection light device has a housing with an open front and open rear and a bar or rod extending horizontally across the housing. Multiple stage-type nonfocusable lights such as par lamps are mounted on the bar and positioned to send light out the front of the box. The box also has a diffusion element holder (frame) disposed proximate its front end, and even may have multiple diffusion element holders including having one diffusion element holder at an angle. Each diffusion element holder has a diffusion element or filter. The diffusion element or elements receive the light from the lighting instruments and diffuse it to provide a soft projected light from the box. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, this light may be used to provide diffused light as part of the key lighting for a stage or set, and may provide such soft projected lighting from a front (downstage) of the stage or set.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/146,063filed Sep. 2, 1998, now and issuing as U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,125 on Aug.22, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a portable modular light diffusion box,and in particular such a box which includes light diffusion frame(s) andthe capacity to contain multiple lights. In the entertainment industryincluding motion pictures, television and theatrical arts, as well as inthe photographic industry and other fields, it is necessary to light aset, stage or other area. Often, particularly for an indoor set in themotion picture and television industries, the key (primary) lighting isprovided at the back corners of the set (opposite where the camera andaudience, if any, will be) to avoid boom (sound equipment) shadows and afill light from the front in accordance with a theory known as backcross key lighting.

Although back cross key lighting is used almost exclusively for sitcoms,there are some inherent drawbacks to the system. One problem is that the“key” or strongest light comes from the top/back (upstage) portion ofthe set, so there are invariably shadows thrown from the people andobjects on the set onto each other. Also, in many cases there areshadows from a person's facial features that fall upon that person'sface, such as nose shadows. The strong (“hard”) light coming from theback also creates hot rims around people and is especially objectionableon bald or light-haired individuals. This hard light, which istraditionally used, can also create unwanted microphone boom shadows.

In studio photography, light diffusion gel frames have been used tosoften lighting by diffusing the light. These frames have been typicallyindividually mounted in front of or to a lighting instrument.

Conventional wisdom is that the lights are mounted on a stand, on apipe, or on typical set scaffolding known as a green bed. As there arenumerous lights on a set, and as providing a diffusion screen on eachlight is cumbersome, and as it is further cumbersome to change suchscreens and to align such lights to properly cooperate, the use ofindividually mounted diffusion devices is not practical or economicalfor some set lighting, especially sitcoms.

Examples of individually mounted diffusion gel supporting members areshown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,602 to Joseph N. Tawil, issued Jul. 29,1997, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,506 to Raymond G. Larson issued May 1,1984. These require special brackets or rings to mount to the lightinginstrument, and are often dependent on the type of light.

A diffusion device has been known to be used with multiple lights, suchas in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,874 to Thomas A. Waltz issued Aug. 8, 1989.The Waltz patent discloses a light modifier which is inflatable andsurrounds multiple lights attached to a stand or to other support rodswhich are not part of the inflatable device. The device itself whichprovides light diffusion must be entirely changed to change the lightdiffusion effect, and it has limited ability to control and directlight. It is therefore impractical to use for set lighting.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,838 to Muriel H. Brandess issued Jul. 7, 1992,discloses a photographic filter-holding apparatus that has a mechanismfor holding a filter in front of a light. In one embodiment there aretwo lights, but each light has a separate filter, and it also requires aspecial mounting structure.

What is needed is a box which can diffuse and control light frommultiple lights in such a way that the box and lights are stable,preferably avoid the need for expensive lighting instruments such asfresnel (focusable) lights, and provide soft, diffused light preferablyfrom multiple instruments such as par cans (“pars”), to enable the useof front projected lighting as the key or primary lighting for a stageor set.

What is also needed is a device that can project soft key light in acontrollable way deep into the set evenly from front to back and side toside while having a compact profile to allow for cameras underneath andviewers behind. The light would be parallel to and under the microphonebooms thus eliminating boom shadows. The light would also come from asimilar angle as the cameras eliminating or “burying” shadows behind theobjects themselves.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the invention provides a modular light diffusion boxwhich preferably is adapted to be in front or to hold multiple lights.The box has a housing for channeling and controlling the light, thehousing having two sides, a top and a bottom formed so as to belightweight yet rigid or substantially rigid. The housing also has achannel or channels for supporting a diffusion frame or frames, orfilters. In a preferred embodiment, the housing supports a bar, such asspeed rail™ or other cross-member on which multiple lights may bemounted, and in another preferred embodiment, the box is foldable andportable.

It is also preferable that the box have an angle at its front end fordirecting light towards a set or stage when the box is elevated withrespect thereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of five (5) light boxes for frontprojection illumination of a set in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a light box according to theinvention;

FIG. 3 is a side view (rotated 90° clockwise with respect to FIG. 2)showing a top and left-side subassembly and a bottom and right-sidesubassembly of the box of FIG. 2 in a folded position in accordance withan aspect of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view (rotated 90° clockwise with respect to FIG.2) showing a bottom of the box of FIG. 2 with a bottom door open and adiffusion screen being slid into the box in accordance with anotheraspect of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the box according to the invention showing anangle at which the front edges of the left and right side panels are cutin accordance with a further aspect of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a set with front projected lightingprovided from a plurality of boxes in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 2 inside circle 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

In FIG. 2, a box 1 according to one embodiment of the invention isshown. It has a housing with four sides, namely a left side 4, a rightside 6, a top 8 and a bottom 10, which are shown planar. The back ispreferably open and the box preferably has a light mounting structuresuch as a cross-member, holder or bar 14. Bar 14 is preferably formed byspeed rail, a standard rod well known in the motion picture andtelevision industry for mounting lights such as pars. The bar 14 may beany kind of cross-member or other structure suitable to readily mountmultiple lights. At the front of the housing there are two diffusionholding elements, filter holding elements, screens or frames 16, 18,which each hold diffusion elements or filters. In use only one diffusionscreen or filter need be used. Part of the screen or screens may be madeopaque for further control of the light emanating from the box. Thephrase diffusion element will be used herein to mean diffusion frame,screen or other structure used to diffuse or soften light from the stagelights.

The bar 14 is mounted to the left and right sides of the housing bymeans of members or V-brackets 20, 22, having cups 24, 26, respectively,which each receive the ends of the bar. Set screws 28 and 30 are used tofix the ends of the bar in the cups.

In the disclosed embodiment, each side, top or bottom of the housingconsists of a skeletal frame with frame members and a panel, preferablyopaque, and the sides are hinged together. With continued reference toFIGS. 2, 3 and 4, side 6 has frame members 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 and anopaque (right side) panel 46 to which the frame members are bolted,riveted, soldered or otherwise connected. The left side 4 is constructedusing a mirror image of frame members to which a panel 48 (an opaque,left side panel) is fastened in like manner. On the right side panel 46,and in like mirror image on the left side panel 48, there are twochannel members 40 a, 42 a for receiving the diffusion elements 16, 18.The diffusion elements are constructed preferably in a manner similar toscreen windows. If only one diffusion element is used, it is preferableto use the forwardmost element 16. The top 8 also has a panel 50 andframe members around the edges, including frame members 47, 49, 51. Thebottom 10 has two panels 60, 62, the larger panel having frame members52, 54, 56 and 58 around its edges and the smaller panel 62 having framemembers 53, 55, 57 and 59 around its edges. The smaller panel and itsframe members form a door 10 a.

The various frame members may be rectangular tubing, and the framemembers, panels and other components are preferably of a lightweight butstrong material such as aluminum, and the channel members may byC-shaped and preferably constructed of a lightweight rigid material suchas aluminum as well. The sides, top and bottom may be formed of anyrigid or semi-rigid material sufficient to support the cross-member 14and a mechanism for mounting the cross-member 14.

So that the box is easy to transport and store, the sides, top andbottom are preferably formed so as to be foldable in two units, as shownin FIG. 3. The left side of FIG. 3 shows left side 4 and top 8 which arepreferably permanently hinged together for rotation and folding aboutaxis A. The right side of FIG. 3 shows bottom 10 and right side 6 whichare permanently hinged together for folding about axis B. The permanenthinged connections are shown by hinges 65 in FIG. 2 which connect thebottom frame member 52 to the right side frame member 38, and likehinges (not shown) connect a frame member of the left side 4 and top 8.The two subassemblies, i.e., the top 8 and right side 6 and the bottom10 and left side 4, connect together by means of two sets of knockouthinges. These include half hinge members 63 mounted to frame member 36of the right side 6 which mate with half hinge members 63 a (FIG. 3),which then receive a knockout (hinge) pin. Similar half hinges 67 and 67a are mounted on the bottom frame member 56 and a frame member (notshown) of left side 4. With this structure, the two subassemblies may bereadily connected and disconnected by inserting or removing hinge pins.

The door 10 a of the bottom enables the diffusion elements 16, 18 to bereadily removed and replaced when the box is assembled, even when it isin place for lighting a set or stage. Hinges 80 (FIG. 3) on the externalside of bottom 10 connect panel 60 and panel 62, which is smaller thanpanel 60, and thus enable the door to rotate open and closed. As bestshown in FIG. 4, two angle members 82 bolted at one end to the sides 4,6, are rotatable between the positions shown in FIG. 1 to hold the doorclosed and the position shown in FIG. 4 to open the door.

In one embodiment of the invention, the housing and diffusion element(s)may be used without the V-brackets and bar, and may be mounted toscaffolding or otherwise positioned in front of multiple stage-typelights. In the preferred embodiment, multiple stage-type lights 75, 76,77 and 78 may be readily clamped onto the bar 14 supported by thehousing. Where the bar is a rod such as speed rail™ or the like, typicalstage lights have C-clamps 90 readily connectable to such rod or speedrail™. Therefore, regardless of the stage-type light that is used, itmay be quickly mounted and unmounted from the bar 14. Accordingly, nospecial mounting structure is necessary, although any suitable mountingstructure will do.

In operation, the box may be assembled as follows:

The two sub-assemblies of FIG. 3 may be rotated to be open at 90°. Thehinge halves 63, 63 a and 67, 67 a are then positioned to mate, and thehinge pins are inserted. The housing may then be rotated onto its bottompanel and the V-brackets 20, 22 may be bolted to the frame members ofthe left and right side using wing nuts 92 and bolts 94 (shown in detailin FIG. 7), after inserting the speed rail in the cups 24, 26 andtightening the set screws 28, 30.

Alternatively, the V-brackets may be affixed to the side members beforethe side members, top and bottom subassemblies are connected. One sideof the speed rail would then be inserted into one cup and the set screwstightened, and the other side would then be inserted into the remainingcup upon connecting the side, top, bottom and other side.

Once the housing, V-brackets and bar are connected, the stage lights aremounted using the C-clamps and the diffusion elements are slid intoplace. The door 10 a is rotated closed and the angle brackets 82 arerotated downward (in FIG. 2) to hold the door closed (as shown in FIG.1). The box may be disassembled in reverse order.

Preferably, the back of the box is open which allows for venting of thelights, as well as easily mounting them, disconnecting them, electricalline access, and positioning of the lights.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, several boxes may beused adjacent one another or otherwise positioned to cooperate to lighta set. These boxes may be suspended, such as from scaffolding, as shownin FIG. 1. In the television and movie industry, existing scaffolding inindoor stages is known as a green bed. A simple means to suspend the boxor boxes from the green bed is to provide eye bolts 81 fixed to theframe members of the top 8 and use chain or rope 83 connected to the eyebolts and the scaffolding as shown in FIG. 1. As also shown in FIG. 1,three boxes 1 are adjacent one another on the viewer's left side of FIG.1 and two boxes 1 are adjacent one another on the right side of FIG. 1.The three boxes together would typically provide greater light, givenuse of the same lights in each box, and thus be known as key lightingfor a set or stage and the two box group would provide fill light.

With reference to FIG. 5, the angular front edges of the left and rightside members will be explained. The angle provides a way to channel anddirect light when the boxes are horizontally mounted, such as shown inFIG. 1, with the top flush or parallel to the green bed or the like. Theangle also allows light to project to the upstage portion of the set andthe downstage portion, even though the boxes are mounted in the air andclose to the set. The angle may be selected depending upon the geometryof where the boxes are mounted in relation to the set, as well as anyother factors well known in the art. For example, the top may have adepth dimension D of four feet and the bottom may have a depth dimensionC of three feet, thus providing front edge E with an angle “tilteddownward.” Preferably, the distance from the top of the box to thebottom would also be four feet. The angular orientation of diffusionelement 16 also provides a greater surface area with which to diffusethe light.

The boxes can be constructed larger, or smaller, with any appropriatelydesired dimension, but it is advantageous to construct them with afour-foot square length and width cross-section. This size readilyaccommodates four lights, the two lights on top and the two lights onthe bottom. Alternatively, the box could be eight feet wide by four feettall which would accommodate eight lights for standard pars. More lightscan be fit into a box than is shown in the drawings, to increase thestrength depending on the use. In addition, one may put lights at threeor more relative heights or put more than two across.

By use of higher powered lights on top, upstage lighting can becomparable to downstage lighting, and by use of boxes placed side toside, lighting at one side of the set can be comparable to lighting atthe other side.

The diagram of FIG. 6 shows how boxes according to the invention areused to provide for front-projected light to a set. In a sitcom-typeset, it has been conventional to light the actors 1A and 1B from theback typically by expensive, high-powered fresnel lights. The back(upstage) of the set 86 is defined with respect to the location of thecamera 88 which is at the front (downstage). When a sitcom or the likeis filmed, typically there is also an audience 84 located downstage. Thekey lights 180 and fill lights 182, when constructed in accordance withthe invention, may be provided at the front of the set. Undesirableshadows from objects, actors and boom sound equipment, which normallyextends from the front from above the green bed, are avoided because ofthe diffused light emanating from the boxes rather than multiplehigh-powered beams from multiple lights located below and parallel tothe booms. Moreover, the boxes take a diffusion element and apply it tomultiple lights in a way that is quickly and easily controlled to lightthe entire set evenly. When the lights on top of the bar are higherpowered than the lights below the bar, the upper lights illuminate theback of the set as well as the lower lights illuminate the front. Thesystem thus may use inexpensive stage lights, e.g., pars, rather thanexpensive lights, e.g., fresnels, provide a higher level of light withsignificantly fewer lighting instruments, and achieve greater depth offield. For example, in a three box key light, one may use six 1000-wattpars (medium) for the upper lights and six 1000-watt pars (wide) for thelower lights and achieve a 4.6 @250 ASA on the downstage portion of theset and a 4.3 upstage, allowing for use of slower film or a deeper depthof field, or a combination thereof.

The boxes, when used modularly or collectively, achieve a very desirablelighting effect, and thus it is preferable to form them such that theycan be placed side to side, e.g., by using sides 4, 6.

Although the boxes are constructed primarily of aluminum, they may beconstructed of any other reasonable material including wood, plastic,foamcore, or fabric on a frame, and may even be disposable. The boxesare, as shown in the preferred embodiment, preferably readily enabled tobe disassembled and folded, although other embodiments where the boxesare not readily disassembled can be envisioned. In addition, forexample, the bar 14 need not be mounted to V-bracket members, and mayinstead be directly or more directly mounted to the housing of the box.The box or boxes need not be mounted to green bed, and may be hung fromor mounted on pipe, or otherwise mounted, hung or used.

While the present invention has been described with regards toparticular embodiments, it is recognized that additional variations ofthe present invention may be devised without departing from theinventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. A lighting projection device for controlling anddirecting light from multiple lights, the lighting projection devicecomprising: (i) a housing having a front; (ii) a light mounting elementconnected to the housing; (iii) a plurality of par lamps connected tothe light mounting element, wherein the par lamps may be directed towardthe front of the housing for illuminating a desired area; and (iv) adiffusion mounting element connected to the housing for supporting atleast one diffusion element proximate the front of the housing, wherebysuch a diffusion element would provide light diffusion for the multiplepar lamps directed toward the front of the housing for converting lightfrom the par lamps to a soft diffused projected light.
 2. The lightingprojection device of claim 1 further comprising a diffusion elementsupported by the diffusion mounting element for diffusing light from themultiple par lamps.
 3. The lighting projection device of claim 1 furthercomprising means in the housing for providing access to the lightdiffusion element for removing and replacing the light diffusionelement.
 4. The lighting projection device of claim 1 wherein thehousing is foldable.
 5. The lighting projection device of claim 1,wherein the light mounting element comprises a rod.
 6. The lightingprojection device of claim 1 wherein the housing is a semi-rigidmaterial.
 7. The lighting projection device of claim 1 furthercomprising an attachment connected to the housing for mounting thelighting device in a desired position relative to the area to beilluminated.
 8. The lighting projection device of claim 1 wherein thehousing comprises a fabric.
 9. The front projection light device ofclaim 11 further comprising a secondary filter holding element disposedin said housing spaced from the first filter holding element.
 10. Thefront projection light device of claim 11 wherein the sides of thehousing comprise an aluminum material.
 11. A front projection lightdevice comprising: a housing capable of supporting a plurality of parlamps; wherein said housing has a plurality of sides and a front; aprimary filter holding element disposed in said housing proximate thefront; wherein said sides are adjacent one another and extend at leastto said primary filter holding element; a light mounting element forsupporting said plurality of par lamps therefrom, such that said parlamps are directed toward said front; wherein said housing is enclosedat least between the light mounting element and said primary filterholding element; and wherein said primary filter holding element issupported from said housing proximate said front, whereby when a filterelement is mounted in said primary filter holding element, lightproduced by said par lamps is directed therethrough.
 12. The frontprojection light device of claim 11, further comprising means forproviding access through said housing to said primary holding elementfor removing and replacing said primary holding element.
 13. The frontprojection light device of claim 11, further comprising means attachedto said housing for suspending the front projection light device. 14.The front projection light device of claim 11, wherein said housingcomprises a plurality of sides each comprising an aluminum material. 15.The front projection light device of claim 11, further comprising aprimary filter element disposed in said primary filter holding element.16. The front projection light device of claim 15, wherein said primaryfilter element is a material that diffuses said light from said pars.17. The front projection light device of claim 11, further comprising asecondary filter holding element, wherein said secondary holding elementis supported from said housing spaced from said primary filter holdingelement such that, when filter elements are mounted in said primaryholding element and said secondary holding element, light produced bysaid plurality of pars is directed therethrough.
 18. The frontprojection light device of claim 17, wherein a primary filter element isdisposed in said primary filter holding element and a secondary filterelement is disposed in said secondary filter holding element.
 19. Thefront projection light device of claim 18, wherein said secondary filterelement is a material that diffuses said light from said pars.
 20. Alight projection device for controlling and directing light frommultiple par lights, the light projection device comprising: a housing;multiple par lamps; a light mounting element connected to the housingsupporting the multiple par lamps directed toward a front of thehousing; a diffusion mounting element connected to the housingsupporting at least one diffusion element proximate the front of thehousing, whereby the diffusion element will provide light diffusion formultiple par lamps directed thereat; and wherein said housing isenclosed at least between the light mounting element and diffusionmounting element, and there are means on the housing for providingaccess to the diffusion mounting element for removal and replacementthereof.